Is grey paint really Mumsnet2013, and help me find the right shade

[MmeLindor]

There have been a few threads recently about the exact shade of grey paint, and I am starting to worry if it is almost passé.

We are repainting the whole house.

Living room with wooden floors (oak) and white woodwork

Hall with large light grey tiles, stairs and upstairs landing in dark grey carpet

Bathrooms same light grey tiles, taupe wetwall, mosaic tiles in grey/taupe

I'd like the same grey through much of the house, but not sure whether to go for a darker shade in some rooms, eg bedroom and the living room/dining room.

And what shade. Don't wan't a blue grey, or a yellowy grey. Modern and clean. Our painter uses Johnstone's Paint, but he can colour match from other companies.

I have some pigeon

but as we were two mean to pay f&b and got the local shop to knock it up and then had to get more...it isn't all quite the same shade.

oh, good point, Poppy. We had white walls and sheer curtains when we lived in Geneva, and loved it. Didn't like it here when we had the bedrooms done last year.

Pigeon is lovely, but might be too green.

Gah. I am annoying myself now. This one is too green, that one is too blue. Goldifeckinglocks of paint.

Our front door and fence is pigeon, I agree it is quite green.

From F&B I think pavilion grey is a fairly "true" grey, but TBH I've found that with any of them you have to choose between a green, blue or brown tone.

The greys we used were all cool toned, and some do look quite blue at certain times of the day. However I find them really calming colours so I guess it's how a colour might make you feel.

Think we used Dulux night jewels (can't remember which number but the lightest one) in our hallway and I love it, even though it looks a lot darker than I intended. TBH the manor house grey really was the only colour we used that looked exactly as I'd imagined once the whole room was painted!

Have a look at Paint Library Slate. It comes in 4 shades of intensity so you can keep the same tone but have lighter or darker colors depending on the room. If you paint ceilings in the lightest shade, not white, it looks better. Paintwork in a light grey is better than white too for a 'decorator' look.

one of our pigeons is green, the other brown...

We have polished pebble by dulux in our lounge (on 3 walls) and it is lovely. Tranquil but airy and light. Very enduring also.

Thanks all for the advice. I bought a load of testers today and we are settled on Cornforth White for the living/dining room and bedroom, and Manor House Grey for the hall.

I, too, am in grey paint tester hell! I have chosen Egyptian cotton for the hallway, but I'm trying to find a grey to match up with this...wallpaper.
I have tried polished pebble, lamp room grey, cornforth white. I've also tried manor house grey.... can't seem to get the match right at all.
Cornforth white is probably the best but it's still a bit light really.

I took the wallpaper sample in to be colour matched but it picked up the background colour, not the grey stalks.

Anyone else like to throw some tester suggestions my way?

Loved your manor house room by the way chunkamatic

bob we used F&B Blackened in the nursery and I think it would go well with that wallpaper.

The paper swatch is terrible and looks cream for some reason so you'd need a tester pot, but it's the nicest soft grey.

Here's a room in Blackened

Thanks poppy I had dismissed blackened as I was worried it was too pale but I've opened them up together on different screens and on the screen they look a good match so I'll try that one.

P.S I waffled on for ages about paper but then realised I was hijacking the thread a bit so have started a new one here in case anyone wants a look to see if you can help!

UPDATE
We are halfway through painting and I have to say that Cornforth White is FABULOUSLY WONDERFUL (even if you get it mixed by Johnstone's and it is much cheaper than the original).

May we please get a picture when it's done?

We're redoing our whole house and I need some paint-porn.

We're using Dulux Egyptian Cotton in our guest bedroom. I do wonder now whether it is going to be a bit "cold" but I think with white furniture and a white/grey duvet cover it will look nice

mme did you take the tester pot along to be matched by johnstone's or just the cardboard sheet? Glad you're happy with your choice.
I'm still trying to find a match for the grey on the wallpaper !

You can see it a bit here on Vine

Didn't take a tester - they were able to paint match from the name of the colour. He said that they had the numbers in their system.

Thanks - looks lovely by the way